


Collateral baggage

by Zan_scrawling



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7469046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zan_scrawling/pseuds/Zan_scrawling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance can't sleep; Coran is up and able to listen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collateral baggage

The ship’s main control room was quiet, save for the steady tapping of Coran’s fingers on the keys. Then, footsteps, echoing in the cavernous room.

 

Coran turned from his work at the central control point, hailing Lance with a hearty salute. ‘Good evening young palladin! Or are we into morning by now?’

 

Lance jumped down the small ledge seperating the outer room from the inner. ‘Morning, or- well, it doesn’t really make any difference on a ship, right?’

 

Coran twiddled his moustache. ‘Point taken. So, what’s the problem? Can’t sleep?’

 

Lance shrugged. ‘Something like that.’

 

Coran nodded. ‘I understand, blood still pumping from the day’s activities, eh? I remember my nights after a mission, wired up like a quintessic ronterian! Ah, those were the days.’

 

Lance rubbed his neck, eyes down. ‘So, what was it like, being a soldier in the Altean army?’

 

The sporadic beeping of the monitors ceased a moment as Coran thought. ‘Oh, you know, bit of reconnaissance here, some rough and tumble there. More of the latter, toward the end of course.’

 

He went silent, and Lance, for once, didn’t know what to say.

 

‘How long were you fighting Zarkon? Or I mean, the Galra in general, before you and Allura went under?’

 

Coran had started monitoring the controls again, and was zooming in on a particular section of the castle, which had begun to glow a faint rose-red on the projection. ‘Darned crystal, really gave you an old workout eh?’

 

Lance stepped closer to him. ‘Uh, Coran?’

 

‘Yes! Yes, sorry. Been up for hours clearing away the residual taint of that Galran crystal.’ He sighed. ‘Too long, the war lasted- is lasting- far too long.’

 

He turned to the blue paladin, and saw the boy staring hard, resolutely to the side.

 

‘What’s this all about, anyway?’

 

Lance sighed. ‘I keep seeing Galra soldiers.’

 

Coran tensed. ‘Where? In the castle? In your chambers?’ He looked frantically about him. ‘You’ve had Galran Soldiers in your chambers and you haven’t told anyo-’

 

Lance help up his hands. ‘No! No, in my head. When I close my eyes.’

 

Coran relaxed. ‘Oh. That happens. War doesn’t stay on the battlefield, I’m afraid.’

 

Lance sighed, sat down. ‘They aren’t even attacking, when I see them. That’s what’s so bad about it. I just imagine them, doing normal stuff, like us- walking around their ships, talking, maybe even something stupid like taking a nap or whatever.’

 

Coran raised an eyebrow.

 

Lance held his head in his hands. ‘And then I think about them exploding. About fire racing down their halls, burning them to ash, them trying to find a way out, only there _is_ no way out and then. Nothing. Just, nothing.’

 

Lance had his eyes closed.

 

Coran moved away from the monitor, sat down beside the young paladin. And weren’t they all so young? The original paladins had all been fully grown, and they had known war, known what it is was to live through battle. Up until a few months ago, these five had all been teenagers. There were some things, he knew, had had far too much experience learning, you could not return to. And there were some things you just couldn’t protect people from.

 

He placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder.

 

‘It’s like I said. War doesn’t stay on the battlefield.’

 

Lance looked up, laughed, though Coran saw it was an act. That was fine; every one found their own way of dealing with it. Coran certainly knew how far a smile or a joke could go.

 

‘Does that- does that ever go away?’

 

Coran got back to his feet. ‘I’ll let you know.’ He nodded to the boy, held out his hand. Lance took it and pulled himself to his feet. Coran smiled. He thought the kid might just be alright, at that.

 

Lance stepped up and began to walk back through room. At the door, he turned. ‘Goodnight, Coran. And thanks- for listening, I mean.’

 

Coran waved from the control point, not looking around. ‘Goodnight! And anytime, paladin. You know where to find me.’

 

The boy’s footsteps echoed down the hall, fading into silence. In them, Coran heard the ghosted echo of many others, ten thousand years gone. He closed his eyes, and sighed.

 

There were some things you just couldn’t protect them from.

 

 

 

 


End file.
